W.W. e-mails to comment on “North Country” the somber flick about a sexual harassment lawsuit against a mining company that the Washington Post’s E.J. Graff didn’t find somber enough (See “North Country”–Not Depressing Enough!” Nov. 14). W.W. thinks the reason there aren’t more female miners isn’t the mean and forbidding nature ofthe male miners but male miners but the mean and  forbidding nature of mining itself:


“Where to start? I believe the first two women to have sued their ways into lucrative coal mining jobs were both killed in rock falls. When someone released a video showing women fire candidates universally failing ladder and hose handling, yet being passed anyway, the investigation was not of the examiners passing unqualified candidates but of who made the tape….


” You want to get the big bucks for pushing a tar pot across a roof in the middle of summer? Have my share. Garbage collectors make good money for a short day of hard, smelly work. Has a woman even applied for such work? Bah, humbug. During this time of affirmative action contractors could get preference for having women on the payroll. Try and find one.”


So true–but that doesn’t stop the activists from blaming the dearth of women in blue-collar jobs on men.


J.P. e-mails on Village Voice contributor Izzy Grinspan’s survey of “Devil Wore Prada”/”Everyone Worth Knowing” job-horror chick novels in which Grinspan comments by the by that stay-at-home moms run a good chance of becoming serial killers (See “Our Newest Social Menace: Full-Time Moms and Homemakers,” Nov. 10 and the Mailbag for Nov. 14):


“From the article:  ‘But why chick lit? Surely there are twentysomething men who hate their jobs as much as “Devil”‘s exhausted assistant or “Everyone”‘s frustrated publicist.’ Short answer? Because 20-something men read web comics, not novels.”


And R.G. e-mails with editing suggestions for our links page:


“Instead of ‘Women We Hate,’ call it ‘Women We Don’t’ (as opposed to the ‘Women We Love’ list above it). And Susan Estrich isn’t THAT bad. I rarely agree with her but at least she tries, don’t you think? Add to the ‘Women We Don’t’ list: Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, Gloria Feldt, and Cynthia Tucker. And some women I’d like to add to your ‘Women We Love’ list: Katie Roiphe, Danielle Crittendon, Patricia Heaton, Serrin Foster, and Condoleezza Rice.”


Good suggestions all, R.G. Our links page badly needsupdating, nd we plan to do it soon. There are so many more women to love and hate these days. And we agree with you: Like the proverbial stopped clock, Susan Estrichi gets it right every now and then.